Long Division Festival

Polly Checkland Harding

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Long Division Festival

25 September 2021

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Long Division Festival
Image courtesy of Long Division.
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Long Division Festival was created at a time when there were no gig venues in Wakefield with a capacity over 150 people. This award-winning, metropolitan music festival was started in 2011, with Festival Director Dean Freeman cashing in his NHS pension to fund the project, despite the fact that Wakefield’s music scene was largely overlooked by the national press. The festival’s aim was to redress this by celebrating local talent, as well as drawing touring acts that rarely visited the city to the lineup. For the first two years Long Division Festival was partnered by Ossett Brewery – an independent Yorkshire brewery and Taproom in Yorkshire – holding shows in abandoned libraries, Wild West-themed nightclubs and other, overlooked corners of Wakefield.

Dubbed ‘one of the best independent arts festivals in Europe’ by Under the Radar magazine, Long Division Festival has since expanded to take place across Wakefield’s entire city centre, with past headliners including British Sea Power, The Fall and We Are Scientists. The festival still places grassroots artists alongside the great indie and DIY artists and bands of the day, hosting acts that would never previously have played in the city. Some of Wakefield’s best cultural landmarks are involved as participating venues, including visual arts charity The Art House and the Grade II listed Theatre Royal Wakefield – which is the smallest surviving theatre auditorium designed by legendary architect Frank Matcham. Acts have also taken the stage at unique real ale house The Hop and state of the art, 850 capacity live music and entertainment venue Warehouse23, among many, many more.

Long Division became a Community Interest Company in 2017, focusing on pioneering new projects that promote collaboration alongside artist-audience development. These include the #YoungTeam project, which received national coverage in the Guardian: this part-time five-month course aimed at 16 and 17 year-olds is designed to develop creative talent and cultural interest in young people. The core offer is enhanced with visits to The Hepworth, Wakefield’s incredible art museum and winner of the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2017, Wakefield Jazz and the Rhubarb Festival  – the city’s annual tribute to rhubarb, with special events, a traditional food and drink market, exhibitions, workshops and more. As a company and a music festival, Long Division continues to contribute to Wakefield’s cultural regeneration.

Where to go near Long Division Festival

Morning Glory - Coffee Cup
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Morning Glory

Morning Glory positions itself as a grab-and-go spot, with just 12 seats inside serving coffee, bagels and sweet treats.

The Warehouse In Holbeck
Leeds
Event venue
The Warehouse In Holbeck

Run by acclaimed theatre company Slung Low, The Warehouse in Holbeck is home to boundary-pushing performance and community projects.

Leeds
Event venue
The Attic

Tucked away above the bustle of Merrion Street, The Attic is one of Leeds’ most distinctive small venues – intimate, unpretentious, and steeped in DIY spirit.

The Chevin is a great place for visitors to do lots of different activities and is open all year round with 5 free car parks. To help you find out whatís best for you we have divided this section up into some of these different activities.Please be aware that The Chevin is a working estate so you may see vehicles including timber-extraction lorries using some of the tracks.Self-guided WalksThe Chevin is a big place and there is a good network of paths to make your own circular walk, but if you want to follow a themed trail there is a Geology Trail, Heritage Time Trail and a route for Tree Spotters.Bikes & HorsesThere is an extensive bridleway network on the eastern parts of The Chevin that caters for a range of abilities.Orienteering and GeocachingTwo orienteering courses and a number of geocache sites are waiting to be discovered.Climbing & BoulderingThere are many fantastic crags for climbing and boulders for bouldering.Mobility Scooters & Wheelchairs
Leeds
Restaurant
Oporto

For many years, Oporto has been a beacon of alternative energy on Leeds’ Call Lane – serving up great food and drink alongside resident DJs and live music.

Manchester
Gallery
Black Redstart Gallery

Black Redstart Gallery is located in the Northern Quarter and runs a busy programme of exhibitions from emerging and established artists.

RJC Dance Xmas Show
Leeds
RJC Dance

RJC Dance, based in Chapeltown, Leeds, champions youth and education, leading inclusive Black dance in the North through national partnerships.

Manchester
Gallery
texture mcr

Possibly one of the city’s most mysterious art galleries, texture is a small and perfectly-formed independent space in Ardwick.

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